Definition of Veganism

The word "vegan" was coined in 1944 by Donald Watson of the Vegan Society of the UK. This definition states: "Veganism is a way of living that seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing and any other purpose. "

Our Relationship with Animals

Animals are a constant part of our lives. They share our homes, our beds, and we even consider them members of our family. While they may not be able to balance a checkbook or speak our language, we value them highly. We interact with them and we often turn to them for emotional support.

Dogs, Cats, and Cows, What's the difference?

When they pass away, we mourn them. We no doubt also believe that they enjoy being alive as much as they enjoy the company of others. Yet, for other animals, we stick forks and knives into their bodies and wear their skin as clothing.

In any case, these terms encourage the public to believe it is okay to exploit animals simply because we enjoy it. This strange contradiction is our “moral schizophrenia.” We can overcome this social affliction and respect life by going vegan.

Can't we just consume "humane" animal products?

For example, there are no special transport vehicles for "humanely-raised" animals. The process of transport is the same as conventional animals and is a miserable, often fatal experience. Animals are forced onto trucks with weapons, prods, and even forklifts. Inside, it doesn’t matter if the animals are terrified or in pain, as long as they get to the slaughterhouse alive.

As with any other form of industrialized animal use, consumers have the choice either to participate in it or to refuse the products of exploitation and opt out of the demand-supply cycle altogether...

...Humans have no need for animal products, and the increasing number of vegans on the planet is a testament to how easy it is to live a healthy, fulfilling life without participating in the systematic abuse and unnecessary killing that goes on in the animal industry every day.

To some, "humane" legislation appears to get us closer to having better lives for animals. Animal welfare legislation calls for larger confinements and methods of slaughter which supposedly cause less pain. However, these reforms are industry practices which do away with economically wasteful and outdated practices.

Animal welfare fosters more economically beneficial standards for producers and makes the public feel better about exploiting animals through marketing. It’s not about "them," the producers, it’s about us. We are the consumers, we are the ones paying for this practice to happen. The first, most important thing we can do to address this violence is to go vegan.

[The use of humane slaughter methods]...results in safer and better working conditions…brings about the improvement of products and economies in slaughtering operations; and produces other benefits for producers, processors, and consumers which tend to expedite an orderly flow of livestock and livestock products...

— United States Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.

(Notice the lack of any mention of an animal's wellbeing. Welfarism is about using animals efficiently and cost-effectively.)

Should I go vegetarian?

It's easy to be vegan. If you think it's difficult, imagine how hard it is for the animals that you're not vegan.

But if for some reason you’re thinking you may want to go vegetarian first, remember: vegetarianism means you’ll still be eating animal products and not necessarily less. You'll still be supporting the use of animals. All animal use involves unspeakable violence.

Don't I Need Animal Products to Be Healthy?

[Properly planned vegan diets] are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases….are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.

Is Veganism Good for the Planet?

"About 2,000 pounds of grains must be supplied to livestock in order to produce enough meat and other livestock products to support a person for a year, whereas 400 pounds of grain eaten directly will support a person for a year. Thus, a given quantity of grain eaten directly will feed 5 times as many people as it will if it is eaten indirectly by humans in the form of livestock products.…"

M.E. Ensminger, PhD

Consuming a plant-based diet also has significant benefits for our environment. For example, the amount of potatoes we can produce from an acre of land is about 40,000 lbs compared to only 250 lbs of cow flesh supported from the same acre. When we feed plants to animals in order to eat the animal, we waste an enormous amount of food. For only one pound of cow flesh, 16 lbs of plant food and 5,000 gallons of water are required.

Compare that to 25 gallons of water for a pound of wheat. Animal agriculture is also responsible for most of the food-borne illness epidemics from water runoff. Our use of animals contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions as well as the destruction of forests for grazing. More than 250 million acres of forests are cleared every year in the US alone for this purpose.

Is Veganism Sustainable?

Considering the amount of waste produced by animal agriculture, it's staggering to think how much plant-based food could potentially be grown using the same resources used for animals.

Essentially, we have to feed animals plant foods constantly as they mature. After three to four years of harvesting and cycling this plant food through an animal, the animal is killed and eaten just once.

Imagine instead, each of those four years was used to grow plant food to be directly consumed by humans

More than 56 billion animals are killed every year for flesh, dairy, and eggs.

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(Above) animals killed since this page was opened.

Frightened Cow Awaits Slaughter

This footage is not gory, but depicts the psychological torture all animals endure as they await slaughter.

"[Veganism is not] just a diet or lifestyle. It is a basic prerequisite for anyone who wishes to start caring seriously about animals, including humans. It is a moral and political commitment to non-violence."

Breaking the Set: Abby Martin interviews Gary Francione

Rutgers Law Professor, Gary Francione, is interviewed on the show Breaking The Set, and asks the fundamental question: "Why are we eating, wearing or using animals at all?-particularly when we don't have to?". Professor Francione's newest book: EatLikeYouCareBook.com and website: AbolitionistAppraoch.com